Hello,
I agree that it is a bit presumptuous to consider it a "sin" to send your children to public schools.
Some parents do this because they have no other viable options. There are many homes where both parents are forced to work in order to "make ends meet" in this "new normal" economy. There are other families in which the children live in a broken home with the single parent being forced to work. In other families, the believing parent may be at odds with an unbelieving spouse. What about families in which the parents struggle to pay bills and cannot afford to pay tuition or fees at a private school or lack the funds to buy homeschooling materials?
Who is available to home-school those children?
The law simply requires that a child receive an education up to a certain age.
I think that parents and their children need to come to understand the possible outcomes from their educational choices. Consider the following:
1.) Do your children want to attend college?
The school -- whether public, private or home school -- that your child attended will undoubtedly be a factor in the assessment of your child's application to a college or university. It can also be a major factor for consideration in financial aid situations (e.g., scholarships, institutional scholarships, non-federal grants, etc.).
Schools often have what is known as a "school profile" that assists admissions officers and financial aid administrators with academic assessment. For instance, the fact that a student is ranked #2 out of ten seniors in their small, unaccredited private school might not matter as much as a student who is ranked #27 out of 300 graduating seniors in a public school (because #2 out of 10 is not in the "top ten percent" whereas #27 out of 300 is).
Many states have built-in opportunities for children that attend public schools. For instance, states like Tennessee and Georgia offer "HOPE scholarships" to successful students from ELIGIBLE high schools. Texas and a few other states implement a "top ten percent rule" in which students (again from ELIGIBLE high schools) graduate in the top ten percent of their class and have automatic admission into the state-funded university of their choice. States like California have a "statewide path" that provides guaranteed admission to a state public college or university if you're in the top nine percent of your class (in eligible schools). Most states also provide financial aid opportunities to those same students.
2.) Home school students have a difficult time in university acceptance.
It is not impossible for homeschooling graduates to go to college. There are many community colleges and even some state and private universities that will accept any viable student who meets minimum requirements. However, it is more difficult for such students at major colleges and universities.
Standardized test scores can go only so far. Now, if someone has really great standardized test scores as a result of their high school education, then their opportunities will obviously be greater. However, average scores (or even slightly above average scores) aren't enough to guarantee a spot in an incoming freshman class at many schools. In most schools, those standardized test scores are just one of several different criteria used to determine whether or not a student is admitted. In many instances, even very high test scores aren't enough to obtain acceptance at a good school.
3.) Not all public, private, parochial or home schools or programs are equal.
There are plenty of bad public schools in terms of both morality or academic performance. However, the same is true of private, parochial and home schools. I have known some brilliant students who graduated from church schools or home schools. However, I have also known quite a few students who had parents who didn't take their education seriously enough. I've known several students who went to church schools (where academic standards weren't upheld faithfully) who scored exceptionally low on standardized college admission tests like the SAT and ACT.
As TMK mentioned, there are kids who are schooled by their parents who might struggle in courses like math, science or even language arts. Jesus said, "A disciple is not above his teacher" (Matthew 10:24 NASB). If the teachers (in this case, parents) aren't adequate with certain subjects, then it may prove difficult for their children to adequately grasp those subjects -- especially for college readiness.
4.) GED's greatly limit a student's accessibility to college admission.
In many cases, the pool of students with GED's among an accepted freshmen class is very, very small. In many cases, colleges and universities will rarely even consider such students except with a very limited set of exceptions.
5.) There are alternatives to public, private, parochial and home schools.
While it is "home school" in traditional sense, some students are taught by tutors. This is a common part of public schools in which a child might be too sick or otherwise preoccupied (e.g., pregnant, actors/actresses, travelers, etc.). In some cases, the local public school district will allow the student to receive an official high school diploma from the district if the tutors work with the district. The fact that a student "graduated" as a result of tutors is better because it would exempt the student from class or school ranking identifiers in the college admission process.
There is a new concept that borrows from this idea and sort of reminds me of the educational equivalent of "house churches." There are localized organizations of what would otherwise be considered "home school" students that attend a makeshift classroom arranged by a group of parents and taught by a set of private tutors (often parents of the students themselves). If one parent has a math degree, another has a science degree, another has an English degree, etc. (and enough of them have or obtain teaching certification), then this is akin to private tutoring that resembles home schools. Gaps from the parents' or tutors' area of education can be complimented by alternate options (such as Khan Academy as PaulWest mentioned).
For instance, my wife has teaching certifications in which she is certified by the state of California and can teach general education (preschool through high school) as well as Math, Spanish, ESL and Special Education. If another parent has a degree in English and still another in a science, then three parents have the opportunity to "tutor" those children and solicit the local district to award degrees.
Moreover, there are private and public charter schools in many states that are very good alternatives. One of my wife's siblings is a principal at one of U.S. News and World Report's top high schools in America (which happens to be a public charter). It is not as large as a traditional high school and it has many Christian students and teachers. It also enjoys a 100% college admission rate too.
6.) Higher education isn't a requirement for financial success.
This might be a taboo statement to some people. However, a person does not HAVE to go to college in order to obtain financial success. Recently, we had an issue with our hot water. I wasn't sure if we needed a new hot water heater, so we called a plumber. While he was there, I was on the phone with my niece (my wife's oldest brother's daughter) who had some questions about her impending semester. She had recently been awarded a major scholarship that will cover ALL of her expenses -- tuition, fees, room, board, supplies, travel, etc. -- all the way through a doctorate degree.
After I hung up, the plumber asked me about the conversation. I mentioned my niece and her scholarship. He mentioned that he sometimes wishes that he attended college, but that he was satisfied with his decisions. He told me that plumbing was much more lucrative than what he probably would have made if he had gone to college and majored in most of the fields that he was interested in. In fact, the guy was earning a surprisingly high income -- even by Silicon Valley standards.
In other words, a person can learn some vocational trades without the need for a formal college or university education. In many cases, college students accrue enormous amounts of debt (in the form of student loans) if they didn't find funding for college. A student who borrows $100,000 to get a degree in education will be $100,000 in debt before they even start a career. It will take decades to pay off that debt. However, a person who learns a trade through an apprenticeship can begin earning immediately and usually without any debt.
It doesn't take a degree to open a business. In many cases, it simply takes a small fee to pay for the license, insurance (sometimes optional) and the know-how to make that business successful.
Unfortunately, American society has pushed children into higher education without giving them the time to consider whether it is what they really want to do. Consequently, student loan debt has now surpassed $1 Trillion and the unemployment rate (or underemployment rate) is high even for college graduates.
7.) Parents should pray with their children for the direction of the Lord when it comes to education or jobs.
Parents should be open, honest and, of course, clear about the advantages and disadvantages of higher education.
That said: My wife and I haven't been forced to face such a decision yet. However, my wife would like to educate our children at home at least through elementary school. This is interesting in that she has been a public school teacher (and has taught at the university, community college, high school and middle school levels). My wife's family is very big on education too. Among my wife's siblings, all of them have college degrees and seven of them have post-graduate degrees. My wife and six of her siblings (as well as several of their spouses) have worked in education.
I do not think that it is a "sin" to send your children to public schools. Some people have no viable alternative.
Remember: Children (and adults) have different learning styles. Some are good at learning on their own. Others aren't better in a formal classroom setting. _________________ Christopher
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